So Beautiful
by Sianatra
Summary: She looked perfectly exquisite in that wedding dress, her chocolate brown eyes brimming over with uncontained happiness. I wanted to run to her, to wrap her in my arms – but I couldn't. It wasn't our wedding. -Dramione two-shot, please read and review!-
1. Draco's Point of View

I saw her.

She was clothed in a gown of breathtaking white, curtains of lace and frills dripped down from her slim waist in a mesmerizing, cascading flow of exquisite material. The wedding dress was ravishing; no doubt, but what made the picture even more striking was the way she held herself; perfectly straight and aloft, staring delightedly out into the crowd with those beautiful chocolate brown eyes of hers. I knew those eyes. So many times I'd looked into them when they were mad or angry at me: they had flashed dangerously with a spirit that none could compare to. But now, those same eyes were filled with something that I had never seen before. Happiness. Bliss. Love. It was enough to drive me mad.

I'd wanted her ever since I at first saw her. She hadn't been much of a beauty back then, but it wasn't her looks that had attracted me in the beginning. I was immediately enraptured by her resolve and dedication, her willingness to start a task and finish it to the best of her abilities. She was such a fierce little thing; completely determined to get what she wanted when she wanted it. I knew she would do anything to make her dreams a reality. This, to me, was much better than all the prettiness in the world.

But of course, fate works in unpleasant ways. She loathed me; absolutely loathed me with all of her heart. And I didn't know why. Perhaps it was karma finally catching up to me, or perhaps it was simply a bad twist of luck. Whatever it was, she was unshakeable in her hatred.

I watched her grow up through the years. It tormented me even more as she slowly became prettier, cleverer, and more devout in her detestation of me.

It made me want to kill myself.

The one girl I'd ever loved in my life wished that I would cease existing.

No matter how hard I tried to stop it, time went on. We found ourselves having to go separate ways. School was over, and it was time to enter the 'real world.' I did so with hesitation, wondering when I would ever get the opportunity to see her again.

It turns out that destiny continued to follow me. She and I both scored jobs at the Ministry of Magic. From time to time, I would walk by her in the hallways. She would only nod curtly in acknowledgement and continue on, leaving behind a faint trace of flowery scent. I would go home at night and smell my clothes over and over again, trying to recapture the fragrance in my head, trying to imagine what it would have been like if she had given me even the slightest chance. We could have been so happy together, I just knew it.

More time passed. I heard whispered rumors from co-workers that she and Weasley were engaged. Engaged. I had no hope left. She had gone and thrown away her life to that stupid moron. He didn't deserve her, not in the least.

And now it was her wedding day. I stood silently, watching her. She was a perfect angel; she was the most wonderful, amazing person in the world. And she wasn't mine.

The piano started playing a cheery, traditional tune that completely defied my dark mood.

She started walking up the aisle, the train of her gorgeous dress trailing behind her. A faint flush was prominent on her cheeks, and it was clear that she had no eyes for anyone but him. Weasley. The man who had stolen her.

All too soon, vows were exchanged. She leaned in to kiss him, and all of a sudden, it hit me. She was gone. I had no chance of ever getting her back.

Without really comprehending what I was doing, I quietly walked away from the merry scene that was taking place, a calm sense of despair flooding through me.

I could never have her. She loved him, not me.

It was too late.

My heart had been broken beyond repair.

"Goodbye," I whispered softly as I exited the gates, tears in my eyes. "I love you."

As if in response to my passionate farewell, two doves flew into the sky, twittering happily and circling in the air around each other. It was a gesture of love: a gesture of the bonding that holds the world together.

Love was something I'd learned to accept. Now, I was beginning to hate it. Because of her.

She broke me.

I would never love again. The consequences were just too great.

I swore that someday I would have to tell her what she really meant to me, how much I loved her, how devastated I was when she snubbed me, ignored me, and then finally chose another. But for now, it would have to wait. She was too happy right now, and happiness is hard to come by these days. So I'll wait.

They say that time heals all wounds, but I don't think that phrase is particularly applicable in my case. Time can do nothing for me now. Nothing. Because I was too late.

I love you, Hermione Jean Granger. Never forget that. No matter how far you go in life, no matter what happens, I'll always love you.

* * *

Please review(come on, poor Draco wants you to!)


	2. Hermione's Point of View

**Hermione's POV**

I saw him.

He was clothed in midnight black dress robes; they swirled around his slender figure in faultless waves of flowing material, perfectly accenting his pale complexion and his pointed, pronounced features. He looked just the same as usual – dignified, superior, and ultimately uninterested. But something was different today. His eyes. I knew those eyes; they always showed exactly what he was feeling. Right now they looked absolutely broken, devastated beyond belief, like they were trying to accept some horrible fact of life. He caught my gaze and I felt like I was drowning, helpless in their intense depths. A strained little smile made its way onto his face. I knew he was trying for me. He was trying to be strong. But I could see right through his facade. The mask of contentedness he put on to the rest of the world was invisible to me.

I averted my gaze quickly, not wanting to cause him any more pain. He had already been hurt so much.

I fiddled with the sash of my dress in an attempt to distract myself. My fingers slipped over the cool, heavily decorated fabric, trailing over the tight waistline and tracing the complicated, intricate patterns of the threads. Panic was slowly beginning to build up in my chest. I was at a wedding. I was in a wedding dress. I was about to be married. In less than an hour, my heart would belong to someone else.

Usually I was sensible; I didn't fret over most things. But this was a wedding. My wedding.

Lord have mercy on me.

I didn't even know if I was making the right choice.

Once again, I felt his eyes on me, but I forced myself not to look up. It would only make things worse. I had made a decision between him and Ron, and Ron had won. It was that simple, but somehow, it wasn't simple at all. It was the hardest, most complex thing I'd ever had to do in my life. And now, he was suffering because of my choice.

He'd always loved me, I just knew it. Ever since he had first laid eyes on me, he'd been completely spellbound.

I must admit that I wasn't exactly partial to him in the beginning; his lofty ways and high standards were rather bothersome. But as the years flew by, I learned to respect him, adore him even. The annoying tidbits he had once possessed were now enrapturing, lovely pieces of his character; he would not be the person he was without them.

I think he eventually sensed that I was falling for him, so in order to retain my sanity, I put up a wall between us. It was too confusing, this new feeling they called love. It was one of the very few things in the world that I didn't understand, and that made me feel powerless. Without knowledge, I was nothing.

After school, he followed me to the Ministry of Magic. From time to time, we would pass each other in the hallways. I would only nod curtly in acknowledgement, fearing that by doing more, I would only encourage him to fall deeper in love with me.

And so, time passed. Not much happened for a while until Ron proposed to me. It was earth-shattering, so completely unexpected that I barely even thought about it before I said yes. In hindsight, I should have considered what might have happened before I made my impulsive decision. But in the moment he proposed, all I could see were his shining eyes, alight with a wonderful kind of happiness that I'd never seen there before. I mean, of course I had to say yes. I couldn't let him down, not after all we'd been through together. I didn't want to ruin our years of friendship over an engagement.

The piano started playing a cherry, traditional tune that completely caught me off guard.

It was time.

I started walking up the aisle, shaking nervously. The train of my dress followed me, slowing down my progress like a heavy, insistent weight. _Merlin, what is that stuff made off?_ Random thoughts kept shooting through my head, faster than speeding bullets. _It's very bright outside. Why is the music so loud? I'm halfway there already. This is stupid. Why is everyone cheering? They're so loud. It hurts my ears. I'm almost there._ _God, I can see Ron…_

He was standing there in all of his freckled glory, ginger hair ruffled slightly in the light breeze. It crossed my mind that he barely looked different from the day I met him. He was much taller and much more experienced, but the childish cockiness remained.

"Hey, Hermione," he said softly as he took my hand. "Ready to become a Weasley?"

No. I wasn't. Not at all.

"Of course," I whispered back, beaming at him. He looked satisfied; apparently he didn't know how untrue that statement was.

The ceremony flew by. All too soon, it was time to conclude the marriage.

"Do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley, accept this woman to be your wife?"

"I do," Ron said, a huge smile on his face.

"And do you, Hermione Jean Granger, accept this man to be your husband?"

I cast one last terrified glance at him. He's as pale as a sheet. His eyes are begging me not to do it, not to choose Ron. But it's too late. I'm trapped now. If I don't say it, I'll lose Ron forever. So I took a deep, shaky breath and said, "I do."

That was it for him. He walked away, shaking his head in a silent sort of desperation. It was over.

As for Ron, he leaned in and kissed me eagerly. I kissed back, trying to make the passionate feeling seem real. But it wasn't.

It was all fake. It was all wrong. And it was all my fault.

In that moment, I realized who I truly loved; the person who'd always been there for me, always loved me, even when he thought that I hated him.

Draco.

But I was married to Ron now. I was married. There was no turning back.

I love you Draco Malfoy. I'm just sorry that I never realized it before it was too late.

* * *

Please review! (Come on, poor Draco and Hermione want you to!)


End file.
